If you’re thinking of taking a trip to Echo Beach Bali this year, then we’ve got some great news for you. This area is extremely popular with visitors and for many good reasons.
It’s a place for surfers to enjoy challenging waves, for friends and family to enjoy outdoor activities, and the area around it has excellent shopping, accommodation, rice paddies, and more.
Our guide to Echo Beach will share everything you need to know about this awesome black sand beach in Canggu, Bali.
Where Is Echo Beach?
Echo Beach or Pantai Batu Mejan as it’s known in Balinese is on the South Coast of Bali and it sits astride the river mouth.
It’s in Canggu, between Batu Bolong and Pererenan beaches and to find it you need to drive all the way down Jalan Pantai Batu Mejan.
Echo Beach Bali has plenty of access to the rest of Canggu and the beach itself is broad and sandy with a few rocks dotting the lefthand edge of the beach when they’re exposed during the lowest tide.
The name “Echo Beach” was bestowed upon the area in the early 2000s probably as an aspirational tag to get more people interested in visiting.
How To Get To Echo Beach?
You can get to Echo Beach easily enough from most of the island and from Seminyak or Canggu, the most convenient way to get there is likely to be Grab or Gojek – the ride-sharing apps that are popular here in Bali.
If you’re coming from further afield and driving yourself, there’s no free private parking on the beach but you will only have to pay 2,000-5,000 IDR (less than $0.50 AUD or $0.30 USD) and getting to Echo Beach should be an easy drive. However, be prepared for some traffic (which is always the case wherever you go in Bali).
It will be easy to get a Grab or Gojek when you need to leave the Echo Beach, Canggu area too as it’s a very popular part of the island. Just be warned, that drivers cannot come all the way down to the beach.
You will need to walk about 200 yards up the road as this area is controlled by a “taxi mafia” which prevents ride-share vehicles from picking up passengers in the area.
It’s worth the short walk, mind you, the taxi mafia is a real rip-off.
When Is The Best Time To Visit Echo Beach?
If you want to take advantage of the Echo Beach Surf, then you may want to get to Echo Beach during the wet season when the waves are at their fiercest.
Everyone else might prefer the dry season when it’s a little cooler on land and there’s less chance of rain.
However, there’s no bad time to visit Echo Beach in terms of the time year and even in the rainy season, it’s usually sunny for around 8 hours a day in Bali!
The best time of day to visit is at sunset when you get the amazing natural light show over the Indian Ocean. Sunrise is not as impressive as you’re on the wrong side of the island for a great sunrise.
Is There An Entrance Fee For Echo Beach?
No, there is no entrance fee at Echo Beach. Apart from the parking charge you can use this beach for free.
Things To Know Before You Visit Echo Beach, Canggu
There are a few things to know if you want to visit this beach to get the most out of a day there:
- Echo Beach, Canggu is a black sand beach. Black sand beaches absorb the heat of the sun much more than white sand beaches do. This means the sand gets really hot and you should wear thongs/flip-flops all the time. It’s possible to get burns on your feet if you don’t.
- It gets packed at sunset. Echo Beach is part of the famous Canggu shoreline which has the best view of the world’s fines sunset. If you want to be at the front of the beach on a bean bag, enjoying the view, it will be a bit tricky unless you get there early and secure your bean bag before everyone else shows up.
- The amenities aren’t great. There are public toilets on the beach at Echo Beach, the bad news is that they’re not very nice.
- Don’t go swimming. Echo Beach Bali is a dangerous place to swim and the current can be extremely hostile even to advanced swimmers. Stick to a private pool at a beach club or resort rather than risking your life.
- There are guesthouses and homestays in this area. These are the cheapest forms of accommodation in Canggu and represent the best value for money.
- Before you book any accommodation check to see if it’s near a building site. This part of the island is constantly developing and you want a good night’s sleep.
Things To Do At Echo Beach
There are a few things you can do in and around Echo Beach within walking distance including:
- Enjoy a spectacular sunset – the sunset in Bali is incredible and this spot on the Southwest Coast is perfect for watching the sun dip below the horizon and the amazing lights in the sky. Come early, grab a bean bag and a beer and enjoy!
- Go surfing – advanced surfers will love Echo Beach surf breaks and it’s a great place to hone your skills before tackling Uluwatu’s breaks.
- Learn to surf – if you’re looking to improve your skills from intermediate to advavanced, then Echo Beach is a great place to do it.
- Get pampered in a spa – there are plenty of spas in the local area where you can get a massage or a treatment and for a very reasonable fee.
- Go shopping – the Echo Beach area might not have as many shops as Batu Boilong but there are plenty of boutiques for you to enjoy all the same.
Where To Stay Near Echo Beach
You can always find a great place to stay in Canggu, Bali and Echo Beach is no exception. Check out:
- COMO Uma Canggu – a gorgeous hotel with its own private beach club. You will find that it’s not cheap but it has amazing amenities.
- Echo Beach Villa and Apartment – a pleasant villa set up with excellent outdoor shower facilities. The private pool is associated with the largest villa and you can walk to the beach in under 3 minutes.
- Echo Beach Duo – a super modern villa complex that is quite hard to find from the road. Some of the guests have said that the Penthouse Apartment is overrated though.
- Ketapang Guesthouse Echo Beach – it’s cheap and cheerful and great if you like hostel life. But be warned there’s no soundproofing when the beach club tunes play late at night.
- Perissos Echo Beach Bali – a great location in the heart of the action and within a very short walk to the beach.
Where To Eat Near Echo Beach
There are plenty of great places to eat within walking distance of Echo Beach including:
- Charred Grill House – a relative new comer to the local dining scene, if you’re in the mood for fresh grilled seafood, it’s very good value and their salad bar is one of the only salad bars on the island.
- Numero Quattro Echo Beach – a fine dining spot which is all about great fish served to perfection. If you’re celebrating something special this is a great place to do it.
- Teasing Tongues Canggu – if you’re in the mood for some Tex-Mex deights you can’t go wrong with the delicious food at Teasing Tongues. Their tacos are first rate and so are the margaritas to wash them down with.
- Smoke Bali – Smoke is our favourite BBQ restaurant on the island and if you loved grilled meat over an open flame, you have to check out Smoke. They have some great drink deals too.
- Beach Bums Cafe – this is a simple casual eatery with an emphasis on tasty treats from home that represent excellent value for money. Their Mac & Cheese is amazing.
Other Things To Do Near Echo Beach
There are a few things around this area that might be interesting to visitors including:
- Canggu Love Anchor Market – if you need to pick up some souvenirs for the folks back home, then Canggu Love Anchor Market is the place to do it. it’s also a good place to shop for some boutique vintage clothing.
- Pererenan Beach – this is one of the less visited beaches in Bali, it’s still black sand but currently a little further out in the rice paddies.
- Batu Bolong Beach – the busiest beach in Canggu, the area around it is full of bars and restaurants and boutique stores.
- Seseh Beach – an upcoming beach area which is currently undergoing development. A good place for a quiet sunset beer.
- Berawa Beach – the home of the amazing FINNS Beach Club, the world’s best beach club. A visit to Canggu without a visit to FINNS isn’t a visit at all.
FAQs
Can You Swim At Echo Beach?
Echo Beach Bali is not a great beach for swimming. While the Echo Beach surf is excellent, the overall current outside of the surf breaks is very strong and it’s easy for even an advanced swimmer to be swept away by the current.
We’d recommend that if you do decide to swim at Echo Beach that you do so with caution and that you pay very careful attention to the flags on the beach.
You should know that most Bali beaches, including Echo Beach, don’t have any formal lifeguard attendants. So, you swim entirely at your own risk.
Even the surf breaks are for experienced surfers or advanced surfers and not really for newbies. If you want somewhere to swim, you might head to Seminyak and if you want a less challenging set of breaks head to Berawa Beach or Batu Bolong Beach, instead.
Is This The Echo Beach In The Song?
No, Echo Beach Canggu is not the Echo Beach in the song. In fact, according to the songwriter for Martha and the Muffins, despite there being quite a few different Echo Beaches around the world – none of them are the beach in the song.
He says that he made it up and it’s simply a stand-in for a great beach of any kind. You’ll forgive us if it doesn’t make a huge difference to us and we still blast that tune in the car on the way to Echo Beach, Bali just because we can.
What Is The Nicest Beach In Bali?
There are a lot of beaches in Bali and everyone has their favourite. However, it’s probably fair to say that Nusa Dua Beach is the most highly rated beach in Bali.
That’s because of its soft white sands and the presence of many international 5-star hotel resorts on the beach. That means the beach is kept very well maintained.
We love black sand beaches and think places like Echo Beach Bali have their own unique beauty but it’s fair to say that most people are going to dream of white sands when it comes to staying on a tropical island like Bali.
What Is The Nicest Part Of Bali?
This is very much up for debate. We think Canggu might be the nicest part of Bali because it has a lot of natural beauty, some authentic Balinese cultural attractions and a lot of things to do.
Given that nearly 15% of visitors to Bali visit FINNS Beach Club alone in Canggu, there’s no doubt that a lot of people would agree with us.
Others might argue that Nusa Dua is the nicest part given that it’s essentially a gated community for wealthy resort tourists.
While others might opt for West Bali and the unspoiled natural park and its elegant beauty.
And we’d acknowledge that one of the best things about living in Bali is that there are a lot of contenders for the nicest part of the island.
What Is The Most Popular Beach In Canggu?
Batu Bolong Beach is probably the most popular beach in Canggu. This is because Jalan Pantai Batu Bolong is the busiest road in the area thanks to all the shops bars and restaurants that you can find there.
If Canggu has a “main street” then it’s probably that road and it’s a great location for a bit of shopping.
However, we like to slip away from the crowds when we can and the area around Echo Beach or the area around Berawa Beach is calmer than the area around Batu Bolong and still has a ton of amenities.
Can You Swim At Canggu Beach?
Canggu Beach is a description of all the beaches along the oceanfront of the three village communities that make up Canggu.
They’re all popular beaches with surfers and have amazing surf breaks and waves that make life awesome for surfing.
However, none of them are ideal for swimming and the currents can be very strong. We’d recommend sticking to a swimming pool in this part of the island and you can easily find a beachfront swimming pool to enjoy some cocktails while you enjoy the sight of waves at high tide or low tide.
Which Is Better Seminyak Or Canggu, Bali?
We like Canggu more than Seminyak though there’s not a lot in it. The two towns are next-door neighbours and have a similar feel.
Seminyak, however, is really aimed at the young and well-to-do crowds that like to see and be seen.
Canggu, Bali is more equitable and tends to attract a more varied crowd of people looking to have a good time.
Final Thoughts On Echo Beach Bali
Echo Beach is one of the best beaches in Bali. There are plenty of attractions within walking distance and while the old Echo Beach restaurants and beach bars are gone, you can still find delicious food easily enough in the area.
The river mouth emerges onto the beach here and it’s an attractive spot for sundown drinks and a great destination for high-end surfers.
It’s not far from the international airport and you can easily rent a private driver to take you around the area and show you more of Bali if you want to explore beyond Echo Beach.